US warns North Korea over rocket launch

WASHINGTON: The US has warned North Korea against going ahead with its long-range rocket launch and asked the international community to take appropriate actions to prevent Pyongyang from such a provocative act.

"Let me make absolutely clear that any launch by North Korea would be a serious, clear violation of their obligations under already existing UN Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

"Should North Korea goes ahead and launch it, that would obviously be a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions," Clinton said at a joint press availability with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba.

"Vis-a-vis repeated violations of the Security Council resolutions, Japan and the United States should cooperate with each other closely. The international community, including the Security Council, should take appropriate actions, and that is something that we also agreed upon," she said.

"We are consulting closely in capitals and at the United Nations in New York, and we will be pursuing appropriate action. But I would just underscore that if North Korea wants a peaceful, better future for their people, it should not conduct another launch that would be a direct threat to regional security," she added.

"And we believe that strength and security will not come from more provocations but from North Korea living up to its commitments and obligations."

Clinton said she and the Japanese counterpart covered a number of regional and global issues, but spent most of their time on North Korea's planned missile launch.

"Our two governments will continue to closely coordinate, consult, and cooperate as this situation develops. We share a strong interest in stability on the Korean peninsula, and we believe that strength and security will not come from more provocations but from North Korea living up to its commitments and obligations," she said.

The Japanese Foreign Minister said, "With respect to North Korea, launch of a missile that is - that they allege to be a satellite will harm a path toward resumed dialogues the United States made."

"There should be close cooperation between Japan and the United States; Japan, the US, and ROK, and further with the other concerned countries, including China and Russia. Efforts need to be made until the last moment so that North Korea are restrained from the launch. This is something that the two people agreed on," he said.

Gemba said in the upcoming G-8 meeting that is to be held from Wednesday, it is necessary for us to issue a very strong message.